Organic by John Patrick / Resort 2012

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John Patrick has been flying the flag for eco-fashion for more than ten years with his line Organic by John Patrick, although the starting point of his new collection goes back even a decade further. “I wanted to get into the mind of the girl that grew up in the nineties,” said Patrick as Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” played on the stereo. “That girl that was observing skate culture.” Hints of that nostalgia, which was a popular theme for fall, came through in the slouchy elongated sleeve of a striped Breton shirt, in a baggy blue jean, and in an oversize white button-down. As Patrick put it, that erstwhile skater girl has grown up and is packing deck clothes for a sailing vacation in St.-Tropez or the Great Lakes.

It’s interesting that Patrick should zone on Generation X–ers for inspiration, given that they’re the first wave of women to come up under the green movement and are now making sustainable choices a part of their everyday lives and, by extension, their wardrobes. Once upon a time, eco-fashion was confined to the parameters of a beige organic-cotton T-shirt, and Patrick has been relentless in exploring the possibilities. That’s why you’ll find unexpected technical fabrics in the collection, like neoprene (recycled); a hooded black romper was Patrick’s adventurous alternative to the LBD. “I’m always asking myself how can I do more,” said Patrick, who worked with a local not-for-profit organization to screen-print his T-shirts. “Whether it’s transparency, labor conditions, or just the proportions themselves.” As it happens, Patrick seems to be forging ahead on all fronts.